Samsung Gear 360 offers easier, dedicated 360 image capture

With the growth in virtual reality devices and the desire to put viewers in the middle of a scene, we are seeing companies spending some time producing devices designed to make it easier to capture content. Samsung is a part of that movement with the launch of the new Samsung Gear 360.

The Gear 360 is a 360-degree capable camera that will make it easy to capture content for viewing on the Gear VR. Samsung’s president of the Mobile Communications Business DJ Koh says the new device “makes capturing and sharing life’s moments even easier” and the company is trying to “push the boundaries of the mobile experience” with devices like the Gear 360.

The device is built with a pair of fisheye lenses containing 15MP image sensors when capturing 360-degree video and support for 30MP still images. The lenses are rated at f2.0 to be able to capture plenty of light so good quality, high resolution images can be captured even in low light situations.

Samsung gave the Gear 360 its own tripod to be used when setting it up for a shot. Other accessories and mounts will also be compatible with the Gear 360.

To help push their own ecosystem, Samsung makes it possible to view a preview in real time while recording for users with a Samsung smartphone. Samsung says their app will also make it easy to upload and share their content to social media platforms for viewing by others. The Gear 360 will be compatible with the new Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge, and Galaxy S6.

The Gear 360 will be able to capture data to a microSD and supports sizes up to 128GB. The battery is a 1,350mAh lithium ion unit. Shooting modes include video, photo, time lapse video and looping video.

The Gear 360 is scheduled to be available in select countries during the second quarter.

Raised in North Carolina, Jeff Causey is a licensed CPA in North Carolina. Jeff's past Android devices include an HTC EVO, a Samsung Note II, an LG G3, and a Motorola Moto X Pure Edition along with a Samsung Galaxy Tablet 10.1. He currently uses a Samsung Galaxy S8 and (very rarely) a Nexus 7 (2013). He is also using a Verizon-branded Motorola Moto Z Play Droid supplied by his job. Jeff used to have a pair of Google Glass and a Moto 360 Sport in his stable of gadgets. Unfortunately, his kids have all drunk the Apple Kool-Aid and have i-devices. Life at home often includes demonstrations of the superiority of his Android based devices. In his free time, Jeff is active an active runner usually training for his next marathon, owns a MINI Cooper, and plays Dungeons & Dragons. Jeff has three mostly grown kids and a golden retriever.